Best Ever Asparagus Casserole
Asparagus Casserole is an easy holiday dish that is creamy inside with crunchy French onion fries toppings. Just the perfect side dish to go on your dinner table for Thanksgiving or Easter!
We love roasted asparagus and Air Fryer Asparagus because they are both healthy side dishes and go with pretty much any meal. Also, this Asparagus Frittata is a great brunch meal to enjoy with your whole family.
This Creamy Asparagus Casserole with Crunchy topping is a delicious and flavorful dish, made from one of the healthiest vegetables on earth. Just like Green Bean Casserole, this is one of the perfect holiday meals. Firstly, it is super easy to make, and very delicious.
Secondly, it is a super creamy dish, baked to perfection, and topped with crispy french-fried onions. The french-fried onions give this dish more texture and an additional flavor boost.
What makes this side dish a hit is that you can pair this with just about anything. Feel free to even eat it as a stand-alone dish. However, we enjoy pairing it with chicken, beef, or pork recipes, as a complete meal. In addition, this vegetable is pretty nutritious and has plenty of vitamins, such as vitamin C that are excellent for your body.
How do you make asparagus casserole?
- Before starting, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish with a bit of olive oil or cooking spray.
- Next, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Then, add onions and stir in the minced garlic, fresh asparagus, and mushrooms. Add in the seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and lemon zest.
- Whisk cream and flour to combine. Add this to the skillet and stir until thick. Lower the heat and add in mayonnaise and cream cheese. When already fully combined, remove from heat and add in the cheeses until they melt.
- Next, make the french-fried onions. Crush some onions and add them to the asparagus mixture. Transfer everything to the baking dish, top with the french-fried onions, and bake in the oven for half an hour. Top with more french-fried onions and serve.
Homemade Asparagus Casserole Variations:
- Gluten-free: To make this dish gluten-free, simply substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free substitute like rice flour, coconut flour, or tapioca flour.
- Green Veggies: You can make this recipe with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or green beans as well.
- Add proteins: Great addition would be mixing in a cup of shredded chicken, tuna, turkey breast, sausage, etc.
- Seasoning: In addition, mix in your favorite seasonings such as Italian seasoning, ranch seasoning, etc.
- Toppings: I just love making this side dish with French fried onions. However, you can easily make it with Panko breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, Ritz crackers, bacon, nuts, etc.
- Cream of mushroom soup or alfredo sauce: Another alternative would be replacing the creamy sauce with cream of mushroom soup or homemade alfredo sauce. A great and creamy combination for this dish.
- Cheese: Feel free to swap the cheddar cheese with parmesan cheese, Mozarella cheese, or any other type.
Is asparagus healthy?
Yes! It is one healthiest and nutritious vegetables that are just as rejuvenating as the spring season. It is packed with antioxidants and glutathione. Cooking the asparagus releases antioxidants making it more effective in detoxifying your body thereby making you look younger.
Also, it has lots of nutrients and vitamins including folic acid. So, if you are trying to convince your soon to eat a lot of these veggies, then start with this really easy recipe! Skip the french fried onions to make it healthier.
What are the benefits of eating asparagus?
One great thing about eating asparagus is that it can make you lose weight. It is tasty so you will not feel like you’re depriving yourself by eating bland diet food. The fiber in it can help you feel full which suppresses hunger. At the same time, it helps with digestion. As a natural diuretic, it will also help you expel toxins. Hence, it can be your go-to diet food!
The antioxidants in this super vegetable can help you fend off cancer and aging. It can even soothe a hangover. So, prepare one today if you have a night out and just bake it the next morning.
Is asparagus better thick or thin for cooking?
Both have their benefits.
Thick asparagus usually comes from an older crown and it cooks longer. Also, it is better to cook it a high heat like broiling, grilling, or roasting.
On the other hand, thin asparagus is generally the tender asparagus. It comes from a younger crown at it also cooks faster and is a great option for stir-frying.
For this recipe, both types would work great. So, feel free to use whichever you have on hand.
How to pick and select asparagus?
When selecting this veggie, the most important thing to look is for color. The freshest ones will have a bright green color. Also, their tops should be tightly closed, while the bottoms should look moist and plump.
Can you make asparagus casserole with canned asparagus?
When this veggie is not in season, you may use canned ones. However, whenever possible, we try to go with fresh veggies. It just tastes better and the flavors are amazing. Also, the juice of the canned version may sometimes have an off taste, so you’d better leave that out if you wish.
When is the asparagus in season?
Springtime. These vegetables are just like kale, spinach, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce. You can cultivate this for yourself easily and they are perennial, meaning, they can last for a long time, and only die out when it is too cold.
Having your own asparagus in the backyard can guarantee you fresh and crispy spears compared to those commercially available.
Can you make the asparagus casserole recipe in advance?
Absolutely! Simply, assemble the casserole up to two days in advance, and properly store it in the refrigerator. The next day just continues with the cooking part and you are set to go.
Can you freeze it?
This is the beauty of doing casseroles, you can freeze them and reheat them when needed. Simply prepare it ahead of time, bake halfway, and then, freeze.
Just let it cool completely before putting it in the freezer. Thaw frozen casserole overnight if you put it in a glass dish, but if you put it in an aluminum pan, then, you may bake it straight up from the freezer.
What are French-fried Onions?
French-fried onions are onion rings made to be crispy and they are responsible for adding crunch to the dish, as well as adding flavor.
To make some, just cut some onions crosswise, and separate the layers into rings. In a bowl, put milk and soak the onion rings in it for twenty minutes. On a plate, prepare a mixture of flour, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder.
Cover the onion rings with the dry mixture, and deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Drain the excess oil.
More homemade casserole recipes:
Recipe Tips
- Wash and dry them with paper towels prior to starting cooking.
- Also, if you are planning on hosting a larger gathering, or want some leftover for days to come, then double the ingredients and cook in two batches. This way, you will have some leftovers that can easily be reheated in the days to come.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- You can use whole milk, or 2% milk.
Asparagus Casserole with French Fried Onions
Ingredients
Homemade French Fried Onions (or use store-bought):
- 3 large onions (sliced into thin rings)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Asparagus Casserole:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds fresh asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 8 ounce package white mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups light cream
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 cup Swiss cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Homemade French Fried Onions (or use store-bought):
- Slice the onions into thin rings and separate them into individual rings, add them to a large bowl.
- Add milk to the onion rings and let soak for 20 minutes.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. Whisk to combine.
- When ready to cook, add oil to a large, deep skillet over high heat (or deep fryer).
- Once the oil is hot, working in batches, add a handful of onion rings to the flour mixture, cover well and shake any excess. Transfer to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, turning often.
- Remove the French fried onions and place them on a baking sheet that has been covered with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Repeat with the remaining onion rings.
Asparagus Casserole:
- First, grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add butter and melt, add onion slices and cook for 1-2 minutes, until just tender.
- Add minced garlic, asparagus, mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
- In a measuring cup combine cream and flour, whisk to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, or until thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and mix in mayonnaise and cream cheese, stir until fully combined.
- Remove from heat and stir in both kinds of cheese until melted.
- Crush about 1 1/2 cups of french-fried onions and mix them into the asparagus mixture.
- Transfer mixture to a prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle remaining french-fried onions on top.
- Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until mixture is bubbly.
- Top with more french-fried onions and serve.
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